Costa Rica

Tariffs: The tariff rate for most vehicles is 20 percent, based on the C.I.F. value. Buses that carry between 26 and 44 people and their chassis, trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 4000 kg or over, ambulances, hearses, and other special purpose vehicles pay a 20 percent tariff. Trucks with a gross vehicle weight of under 4000 kg and truck chassis with engines in this size category pay a 20 percent duty. Buses which carry 45 or more passengers and their chassis both pay a 5 percent duty. Passenger motor vehicles and passenger vehicle chassis with engines also are subject to a consumption tax of 47 percent, based on the sum of the C.I.F. value plus the tariff. All imports also pay a Customs surcharge of one percent based on the C.I.F. value. Costa Rica has a ten percent sales tax based on the sum of the C.I.F. value, tariff, consumption tax, and Customs surcharge. Thus, the tariff and taxes owed on an imported passenger car total 95.14 percent. In addition to the tariff, buses that carry between 26 and 44 people and their chassis, trucks with a gross vehicle weight of 4000 kg or over, ambulances, hearses, and other special purpose vehicles pay a Customs and sales taxes, but no consumption tax. Trucks with a gross vehicle weight of under 4000 kg and truck chassis with engines in this size category pay a 15 percent consumption tax, and the other two taxes. Buses that carry 45 or more passengers and their chassis both pay a 5 percent duty and the Customs and sales taxes, but no consumption tax.

Other Measures: Costa Rica does not require import licenses. Previously, Costa Rica did not grant motor vehicle imports from any country preferential treatment. However, beginning on January 1, 2000, motor vehicle imports from Mexico began entering Costa Rica duty free as stipulated in the Mexico-Costa Rica free trade agreement.

Used Vehicles: To calculate tariffs and taxes on used vehicles, Costa Rica uses values reported by the U.S. N.A.D.A. Official Used Car Guide. Costa Rica grants a discount on the sum of the tariff and consumption tax owed according to the following scale: –

Vehicles one year older than the current model year receive a 20 percent discount

Two years old, 30 percent,

Three years old, 40 percent;

Four years old, 50 percent;

Five years old or older, 70 percent.

Thus, for a used car two years older than the current model year, Costa Rica will 1) determine its value from the U.S. N.A.D.A.; 2) sum the 20 percent tariff and 47 percent consumption tax; 3) deduct 30 percent from this sum; 4) add this amount to the determined price of the vehicle; and 5) add the Customs surcharge and 10 percent VAT.

Additionally, Costa Rica liberalized access to foreign currency in February 1992, so that importers are no longer required to pre-register import transactions with the Costa Rican Central Bank nor make previous deposits of currency.

Costa Rica Duty

the “domestic tax” for vehicles coming into Costa Rica is based on “black book” value

we found if you just enter your make (marca) – model (estilo) and year (ano), then click on find (buscar) then go to far right and click on valor for listing that most closely displays the vehicle you wish to bring and you will see valor by year for the vehicle – this will give you an idea as to how much your import costs will be here and you must add freight

Another report suggests that Import taxes on cars, SUVs and pickups of the latest four model years are 59%, while rates for older cars are 71% and 85%, depending on age. These rates are applied not only to the Blue Book value of the car (regardless of the purchase price), but also to the shipping and insurance costs.

The VCAV is the sum of the vehicle’s market value, freight and freight insurance. The Black Book Guide, a consumer Research magazine, based on the model and date of manufacture, determines market values. Freight is the cost of transporting your vehicle to Costa Rica.

If there is no bill of lading or you drove your vehicle, freight will equal seven percent of the market value of your vehicle, which could equal thousands of dollars more than actual freight charges. Freight insurance is the amount of money you pay to insure your vehicle. If you did not pay insurance, customs will multiply the sum of the market value and freight first by 110 percent, then by 1.5 percent.

The duty is determined by the age of your vehicle. If your vehicle is less than three years old, the duty rate is 59.33 percent of VCAV. If the vehicle is 4-5 years old, the rate is 70.63 percent. If the vehicle is more than 6 years old, the duty is 85.32 percent. (Courtesy of the Tico Times).

New regulations which went into effect as of February 7th 2001 resulted in higher taxes for used cars. Now in order to establish the value of a used vehicle you present the commercial invoice with the purchase value of the vehicle. In case you don’t have an invoice you have to declare the value.

Customs will compare this value to the Black Book and to their own Costa Rica market value. These values are extremely high and are based on the selling pric e of used vehicles in Costa Rica. They will multiply the sales price times 0.502, 0.469 or 0.432 depending on the model year to establish the import vale of the vehicle. They will accept your declared value as long as it is within 3% of their established value. If not they will apply their value.

For example, let’s assume that you import a vehicle model year 1993 and with the black book value of $10,000. Let’s also assume the shipping cost is $600, so the value is $10,600. Finally let’s assume the local market value times 0.502 is within 3% of the $10,600. The duties would be: $10,600 times 59.33% = $6239.00. (Courtesy of the Association of Residents of Costa Rica).

Don’t think you can fool the customs inspectors by putting an arbitrary value on your vehicle. They have a list showing the manufacturer’s suggested retail price of every vehicle manufactured when it was new, including extra equipment. In order to calculate depreciation, customs agents refer to the market value based on their “Black Book,” a manual published in the U.S. with a listing of new and used car wholesale auction prices. The book is a bible for U.S. car dealers, loan officers and Costa Rican customs agents. For additional information about the Black Book, contact National Auto Research at 2620 Barrett Road, PO Box 758, Gainsville, GA 30503. Tel: (800) 554-1026, Fax: (770) 532-4792, www.blackbookguides.com.

In order to obtain an estimate of the duties to be paid, send a fax or e-mail to The Association of Residents or the customs broker listed at the end of the next section. Be sure to include the make of the car, model, serial number, automatic or stick shift, extras like air conditioning, power windows or other non-standard equipment. Be sure to specify the country from where you plan to ship the car.

After reading the above, if you still decide to import a used vehicle, we recommend using a customs broker to run around, obtain all the necessary documents and massive paperwork and to help with the taxes. After going through this process a friend of ours told us, “A good customs agent can save you money. A bilingual attorney is also important and will save you days running around from one office to another. He can take you step-by-step through this whole ordeal.” However, if you do decide to do this yourself, you will need to follow the procedure below. First, you have to go to either the East or West Coast to pick up your vehicle at the port of entry. This can be a real pain in the neck requiring a lot of paperwork and patience. It is best to have a customs agent do all of this for you or go with you in person to pick up the vehicle. A good customs agent will have all the paper work done and your car out of the aduana when you arrive at the port of entry.

If you have a good customs agent, he will get your vehicle out while you are still in San José. You can then take an early morning bus from San José and arrive in Limón or any other port a few hours later. Hopefully, your imported car will be waiting in a private parking lot. You just sign one paper and then drive away with your vehicle to San José.

Next, you need to register your car, which usually takes a few working days. First, get your paperwork from customs. Then have your vehicle checked at the Technical Inspection Department (Revisión Ténica) at INVU Las Cañas at the the entrance to the city of Alajuela. Drivers in rural areas can take their vehicles to regional offices in Puntarenas, Guanacaste, Limón, Pérez Zeledón and San Carlos. Then take the papers they give you to the Registro Público or Public Registry vehicle section (Registro de Vehículos) in the suburb of Zapote. Call 011-(506) 224-0628 if you need information.

The cost of your registration depends on the value of your car. Finally, take the documents from the registry to the Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes) at Plaza Víquez south of downtown San José. Your temporary paper license plates will be issued a few months later at the Registro in Zapote.

Because of the huge backlog you will have to wait a year or more for your permanent metal plates. When you find out your metal plates are ready you’ll need to take the following documents to the National Registry (Registro Nacional) in Zapote: the temporay paper plate (placa provisional), title of ownership (título de propiedad), yellow registration card (tarjeta de circulación) and resident ID card (cédula) or passport.

By the way, you can find information about vehicles and property by viewing the National registry’s website at: www.registronacional.com.

Every year you have to pay your marchamo or sticker which indicates you have paid your obligatory liability insurance. You have to do this between November 1 and December 31. You also have to pay $10 for an echo marchamo. This is a certificate that shows your vehicles emissions are within the legal limit. It is like a smog certificate in the U.S.

The third-smallest country in Central America, Costa Rica has an area of 51,100 sq km (19,730 sq mi), including some small islands. Comparatively, the area occupied by Costa Rica is slightly smaller than the state of West Virginia. Its length is 464 km (288 mi) N–S, and its width is 274 km (170 mi) E–W. Costa Rica is bordered on the N by Nicaragua, on the E by the Caribbean Sea, on the SE by Panama, and on the SW and W by the Pacific Ocean; the total boundary length is 1,929 km (1,199 mi), which includes the coastline of 1,290 km (805 mi). Costa Rica’s capital city, San José, is located in the center of the country.

We are Thailand’s top car exporter to Asia, Thailand’s top car exporter to Europe, Thailand’s top car exporter to the Americas, Thailand’s top car exporter to Africa and Thailand’s top car exporter to the Pacific. No matter where in the world you are and whether your requirement is Right Hand Drive car or 4×4 or Left Hand Drive car or 4×4, Jim Autos Thailand, its used car division Jim 4×4 Thailand and its Dubai division Jim Autos Dubai are ready to serve all your automotive needs. In our 100 years proud history we have exported to over 100 countries in the world and continue to add new customers while not forgetting old customers and old countries. We have an 80% repeat and referral business rate, a testament to our superior customer service, honesty, great quality, great selection, great pricing and great speed of delivery. Thailand’s top car dealer, Thailand top car exporter and Thailand’s top 4×4 exporter is ready to serve you from either its Thailand or Dubai offices.

Exporting from Asia can be tricky as auto exporters and car exporters are dime a dozen. The stereotype of used car salesman is universal and based on some truth. With the advent of Internet the crooks have come out of the woodworks to separate the innocent from their money, Thailand is no exception. Caveat emptor – buyer beware – maxim has been heeded by businessmen since the time of the Ancients but it is most relevant when all it takes is a DSL modem, a nerdy kit with some HTML skills to put together a website, some Images (Pics) taken at your competitor’s lots and you are in business. We have seen a parade of newbie auto exporters come in, offer great deals for a year or so perpetrating an elaborate Ponzi scheme and then disappear with millions of dollars of their customers very hard earned money. Will you trust a company that has been in business for 1 year or one that has been in business for 100 years and is well respected not only all over Asia but also beyond Asian boundaries. If someone offers you a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Not all new entrants are crooks but there are some who in their quest for the fast buck wants to cut corners at the expense of the customer. When you work with Jim you have the peace of mind to know that we have been voted Thailand’s most trusted dealership and Thailand’s most trusted auto exporter five years in a row and it is for this reason that we have over 80% of the auto exporting market share in Thailand.

The Caribbean Community (CARICOM), is an organization of Caribbean nations and dependencies. Caricom’s main purpose is to promote economic integration and cooperation among its members, to ensure that the benefits of integration are equitably shared, and to coordinate foreign policy.

CARICOM’s major activities involve coordinating economic policies and development planning; it also devises and institutes special projects for the less-developed countries within its jurisdiction. It also operates as a regional common market for many of its members (Caricom Single Market). It also operates the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), which serves as the final court of appeal for many Caricom members and also handles regional trade disputes.

Currently CARICOM has 15 full members:

Antigua and Barbuda (4 July 1974)

Bahamas (4 July 1983) (not part of customs union)

Barbados (1 August 1973)

Belize (1 May 1974)

Dominica (1 May 1974)

Grenada (1 May 1974)

Guyana (1 August 1973)

Haiti (provisional membership on 4 July 1998, full membership on 2 July 2002)

Jamaica (1 August 1973)

Montserrat (a territory of the United Kingdom) (1 May 1974)

Saint Kitts and Nevis (26 July 1974 as Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla)

Saint Lucia (1 May 1974)

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1 May 1974)

Suriname (4 July 1995)

Trinidad and Tobago (1 August 1973)

There are five associate members (all British overseas territories):

Anguilla (July 1999)

Bermuda (2 July 2003)

British Virgin Islands (July 1991)

Cayman Islands (16 May 2002)

Turks and Caicos Islands (July 1991)

There are seven observers:

Aruba

Colombia

Dominican Republic

Mexico

Netherlands Antilles

Puerto Rico

Venezuela

Thailand’s top Car exporter to the world

We are not Thailand’s, Singapore’s, England UK’s and Dubai’s top car exporter because we are the oldest but because of our unwavering commitment to customer service, honesty, integrity, professionalism, great prices, great selection, great quality and quick delivery. Jim is a family-owned and family-operated dealership and we have been in business since 1911. Email us now at jim12cars@gmail.com to obtain your vehicle of your choice. Take a look at our selection of 4×4 vehicles to take your pick.

We are Thailand’s top car exporter to Asia, Thailand’s top car exporter to Europe, Thailand’s top car exporter to the Americas, Thailand’s top car exporter to Africa and Thailand’s top car exporter to the Pacific. No matter where in the world you are and whether your requirement is Right Hand Drive car or 4×4 or Left Hand Drive car or 4×4, Jim Autos Thailand, its used car division Jim 4×4 Thailand and its Dubai division Jim Autos Dubai are ready to serve all your automotive needs. In our 100 years proud history we have exported to over 100 countries in the world and continue to add new customers while not forgetting old customers and old countries. We have an 80% repeat and referral business rate, a testament to our superior customer service, honesty, great quality, great selection, great pricing and great speed of delivery. Thailand’s top car dealer, Thailand top car exporter and Thailand’s top 4×4 exporter is ready to serve you from either its Thailand or Dubai offices.

Exporting from Asia can be tricky as auto exporters and car exporters are dime a dozen. The stereotype of used car salesman is universal and based on some truth. With the advent of Internet the crooks have come out of the woodworks to separate the innocent from their money, Thailand is no exception. Caveat emptor – buyer beware – maxim has been heeded by businessmen since the time of the Ancients but it is most relevant when all it takes is a DSL modem, a nerdy kit with some HTML skills to put together a website, some Images (Pics) taken at your competitor’s lots and you are in business. We have seen a parade of newbie auto exporters come in, offer great deals for a year or so perpetrating an elaborate Ponzi scheme and then disappear with millions of dollars of their customers very hard earned money. Will you trust a company that has been in business for 1 year or one that has been in business for 100 years and is well respected not only all over Asia but also beyond Asian boundaries. If someone offers you a deal that sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Not all new entrants are crooks but there are some who in their quest for the fast buck wants to cut corners at the expense of the customer. When you work with Jim you have the peace of mind to know that we have been voted Thailand’s most trusted dealership and Thailand’s most trusted auto exporter five years in a row and it is for this reason that we have over 80% of the auto exporting market share in Thailand.

Deal only with Trustworthy companies

Jim Autos Thailand is a fully owned division of the Jim Group of Companies. We are Thailand’s oldest and largest auto exporter and we are only one of the two auto exporting companies with any automotive experience. We have been in the business for the past 100 years with a 80% repeat and referral business thanks to our expertise, honesty, high quality, low price and quick delivery among others. Please check what some of customers have to say about us in our Testimonials page and top twenty reasons our customers have cited for doing business with us.

If you are looking for a diesel pickup or sports utility vehicle then Jim Autos Thailand is the exporter of choice of thousands of dealers in Asia, Africa, Europe, Pacific and the Americas. We provide top quality 4WD and 2WD pickups and 4×4 and 4×2 pickups and SUVs direct from the manufacturer Toyota, Mitsubishi, Nissan.

We were the first to export Toyota Hilux Tiger out of Thailand as we were Thailand’s first auto exporter. We were also Thailand first auto exporter to export Toyota Hilux Vigo out of Thailand. Our Toyota Vigo prices can not be beaten! No one can beat our Toyota Hilux Tiger pricing, or our Mitsubishi L200 Triton, or Mitsubishi L200 Strada, Nissan Navara pricing. Our prices for all pickups and SUVs are the cheapest. We have Toyota Vigo 4WD double-cabs in stock as well as all other top selling pickups and SUVs and available for immediate shipping anywhere in the world.

Jim Group of Companies supply tax free brand New 2016 2017 cars, 4×4 pickup trucks, 4WD Suvs, MPVs, vans, trucks, bus and machinery to international construction companies, oil companies, vehicle dealers, vehicle importers, NGOs, non-profit organizations, support organizations, and diplomatic missions in Costa Rica. We offer very high quality new and used vehicles at extremely competitive prices to the Costa Rica and other African, Asian, European, South American and Oceanic countries..

We export to not only Individuals such as locals, expats or diplomats and international traders but also small and large dealerships, distributors, local companies, international multinational companies, aid/support NGOs and governmental organizations in Costa Rica.

Warning: Since such regulations are subject to change without notice, Jim Autos Thailand, its sister companies or its parent company The Jim Group of Companies, cannot be held liable for any costs, damage, delays, or other detrimental events resulting from non-compliance